Absorbent and ventilated boot and shoe preserver



Aug. 21, 1934. 1.. F. BADOUX ET AL 1,971,247

ABSORBENT AND VENTILATED BOOT AND SHOE PRESERVER Filed Sept. 18, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JAM/IV PFA FF '4 ATTORNEY 1, 1934. L. FjB ADOUX ET AL V 1,971,247

ABSORBENT AND VENTILATED BOOT AND SHOE PRESERVER Filed Sept. 18, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L 50 5,400 uX 6 M14 M/IV PMl-F I'I'ORIVEV INVE/VIUPS Patented Aug. 21, 1934 PATENT OFFICE ABSORBENT AND VENTILATED BOOT AND SHOE PRESERVER Leo F. Badoux and Charles Benjamin Pfaif, Detroit, Mich.

Application September 18, 1933, Serial No. 689,980

8 Claims.

ed to hold a material that will at the same time be absorbent and act as a deodorant, whereby to absorb the perspiration and function to destroy offensive odors. It is also an object of our invention to provide a construction that will permit of convenient renewal of the absorbent material without harm to the boot and shoe preserver, to provide means for inserting the absorbent material either within or exterior to an inner shell; and to provide the novel combination and arrangement of parts disclosed in the accompanying drawings. We attain these and other objects of our invention by the mechanism illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan of the invention in the form of a shoe tree;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of same on line 22 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. '7 is a transverse section on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the several views. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings, we provide a connecting rod 1 pivotally connected at its forward end by a suitable rivet or bolt 2 to the brackets 3, integral with or affixed to the front outer shell 22. We provide a bolt 5 extending through aperture 4 in connecting rod 1 and sleeve 8 and the forward end of links 6 to provide a central hinge between links 6 and members 1 and 8.

We provide a bolt or rivet '7 pivotally connecting the rear ends of links 6 with tongues 17 or the heel member of the boot or shoe tree. We provide a sleeve 8 in which connecting rod 1 is slidably adjustable. We provide a ring 9 preferably integral with sleeve 8 and functioning as a means for removing the tree from the boot or shoe. As shown in Fig. 2, weprovide an adjusting. spring 12 secured by suitable rivet or screw 13 to the bottom portion 10 of the sleeve 8- and having its upturned end 14 projecting through a slot 11 and releasably engageable in the rack portion 15 of connecting bar 1.

We provide a finger piece 16 suitably attached to the free end of adjusting spring 11 for withdrawing same from engagement with the rack 15.

We provide a heel outer shell 18 having an opening 19 in the top portion and a heel inner shell 20 on which is removably placed suitable absorbent material 21. We provide a front outer shell 22 within which is contained a front inner shell 23 adapted to hold suitable absorbent material 24. It is to be understood that the absorbent material may be placed in the space between members 18 and 20, and between members 22 and 23; or within members 20 and 23, as shown, or both.

The outer shell 22 is provided with a bottom flange 25 which functions as a skeleton sole for the boot or shoe tree. Both the front of the shell 22 and the heel outer shell 18 are provided with spaced narrow panels 26 and spaced wide panels 27, with spaces or channels between the aforesaid panels and designated 29. Each of the wide panels 27 are provided with longitudinal depressions which function as spacing elements to space the outer shells 22 and 18 from the respective inner shells 23 and 20. The space intervening between the front outer shel1.22 and the front inner shell 23 is designated 30 and the corresponding space between the heel outer shell 18 and the heel inner shell 21 is designated 31.

The spaces 29 in the front outer shell 22 and in the heel outer shell 18 permit of circulation of air around the front inner shell 23 and the heel inner shell 20 as the respective inner and outer shells both of the front portion of the shoe tree and the heel portion of the shoe tree are kept in a spaced relation by the depressions 28 in the wide panels 27, as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings. The front inner shell 23 and the heel inner shell 20 are each covered or filled with suitable absorbent material. This absorbent material absorbs all perspiration and destroys any offensive odors.

It will be noted that the front and heel inner shells can readily be removed at the open end and thus permit of convenient removal and renewal of the absorbent material whenever desired. The front portion of the boot and shoe tree and the rear portion are pivotally connected by the connecting rod 1, sleeve8, and links 6, which have the pivot connections 2, 5 and '7, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The boot and shoe tree is adjustable by means of the adjusting spring 12, the upturned end of which releasably engages in the rack portion 15 of connecting rod 1, as shown in Fig. 2. The ring 9 provides a convenient means for expanding the shoe tree or contracting it for removal of the shoe. The inner shells 20 and 23 are filled or covered with absorbent material. In consequence the device will help materially in preserving the leather and prolonging the life of the shoe.

With very little change in construction our device can be adapted to riding boots as well as shoes, by simply having a part to fit the leg of the boot, and preferably being made in three sections and fitting over the top of the shoe tree with a spring hook to connect with the ring for withdrawing the tree from the shoe.

The absorbent material described is impreg nated with a suitable chemical or chemicals to act as a deodorant without harming the lining or leather of the shoe or boot to which the device is applied.

What we claim is:

1. In a boot and shoe preserver, the combination of an outer shell comprising a series of integrally connected but spaced panels, some of the panels having depressions adapted to function as an inner spacing element, an inner shell mounted within said outer shell and spaced therefrom by the aforesaid depressions, and absorbent material mounted on the inner shellf v 2. In a boot and shoe tree, the combination of an outer shell comprising a series of integrally connected but spaced panels, some of the panels having depressions adapted to function as an inner spacing element, an inner shell mounted within said outer shell and spaced therefrom by the aforesaid depressions, and absorbent material mounted on and within the inner shell.

3. In an absorbent and ventilated boot and shoe tree of the type described, the combination of an inner shell, absorbent material removably mounted in the inner shell, an outer shell encircling the inner shell, said outer shell comprising a series of panels and spaces therebetween for ventilation, and means on the outer shell for spacing same from the inner shell.

tween the outer and inner shells, and means linking the front outer shell to the heel outer shell.

5. In combination with the mechanism defined in claim 4, means for adjusting the length of said linking mechanism.

6. In combination with the mechanism defined in claim 4, means for adjusting the length of said linking mechanism, and a ring for raising and lowering the central hinge portion of the link mechanism to contract or expand the boot and shoe preserver.

'7. In a boot and shoe preserver, the combination of an outer shell comprising a series of integrally connected but spaced panels, some of the panels having longitudinally extending depressions adapted to function as an inner spacing element, an inner shell mounted within said outer shell and spaced therefrom by the aforesaid depressions, and absorbent material mounted in the inner shell, said material being impregnated with a deodorant.

8. In a boot and shoe preserver, the combination of an outer shell comprising a series of integrally connected but spaced panels, some of the panels having depressions adapted to function as an inner spacing element, an inner shell mounted within said'outer shell and spaced therefrom by the aforesaid depressions.

LEO F. BADOUX.

CHARLES BENJ. PFAFF. 

